PORT ELIZABETH - NELSON MANDELA BAY METRO POLICE LAUNCH MARRED BY PROTEST

The much-anticipated Nelson Mandela Metro Police Service has been launched in Port Elizabeth. It was gazetted in 2012, but only became operational on Friday.

Questions have been raised about the project in the past when two highly paid Metro Police heads were appointed without any staff.

The launch was disrupted by protesting municipal unions South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) members on Friday.

Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor, Danny Jordaan, talking about the role of the metro police says, “They will work in partnership with the police. They will look at by-law enforcement, helping with crime prevention, [and] helping in the road blocks ... generally cooperating and working with the police. We have the entire police leadership, all the generals in the metro were present and we [are] going to continue now in the discussion on to how we boost energy and create a cooperation between the metro police and the South African Police Service (SAPS),” adds Jordaan.

Meanwhile, Samwu and Imatu members allege that they were never consulted or invited to the launch.

Samwu Regional Secretary, Mqondisi Nodongwe, says, “You cannot launch Metro Police without first telling us how it is going to affect our future as employees of the Nelson Mandela Metro. Secondly, they are not clear if there's going to be a transfer of contracts or there's going to be pure placement. Then, if it's going to be pure placement, we might not have an issue because we will retain our conditions of service.”

VIA - sabc.co.za